Hands-On With The Google Pixel XL

If you have been waiting to see what Google has to offer by way of hardware, meet the Pixel XL. This is the latest smartphone to come from the Google ranks and is one which looks to be different to all that has come before it. Dropping the Nexus name and adopting the more commonly thought of as premium ‘Pixel’ branding, the Pixel XL is all about being premium. If you have waited for a core Google phone to come which will look to take on the likes of the iPhone, then the Pixel XL is the one.

Following the initial announcement, Google has been allowing some hands-on time with their latest and greatest smartphone and while some may have doubted the design ahead of time, the Pixel XL is a smartphone which exudes premium. The front of the device comes touting that 5.5-inch QHD AMOLED display while the back makes use of a two-toned appearance. A combination which does look to offer the owner a premium look and feel smartphone. Of course, the design is only one part of the story here as Google has made sure to pack the Pixel XL with all the specs you would expect on a 2016 flagship, including 4GB RAM, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, a 12.3-megapixel rear camera, an 8-megapixel front-facing camera, a rear-positioned fingerprint sensor, USB Type-C connectivity, a 3,450 mAh battery and Android 7.1 (Nougat).

Speaking of which, while this is a smartphone which comes running the latest version of Android, Nougat, it is also one which employs a tweaked version of the software, the Pixel Launcher. While not vastly different to stock Nougat, the Pixel Launcher does look to offer Pixel XL owners a more intuitive user experience and one which is more greatly tied to its Google Assistant and as such the Pixel Launcher learns by your interactions and is able to highlight apps you use more, often as well as provide quicker routes to finding content on your device through its In-Apps feature. Those who do want to take a more in-depth look at the latest flagship smartphone from Google can do so by checking out our hands-on gallery of the Pixel XL below.

John has been writing about and reviewing tech products since 2014 after making the transition from writing about and reviewing airlines. With a background in Psychology, John has a particular interest in the science and future of the industry. Besides adopting the Managing Editor role at AH John also covers much of the news surrounding audio and visual tech, including cord-cutting, the state of Pay-TV, and Android TV. Contact him at [email protected]